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Moscow commercial real estate has been named the most attractive and desirable in Europe on the 13th LaSalle Investment Management’s European Regional Economic Growth Index.
The Russian capital clinched first place due its size and great growth potential on the list, which contains cities where demand for real estate is likely to be highest in the medium term.
The index includes 326 regions in 33 European countries with previous top-ranking cities, including Paris, Munich and London, dropping down the list.
London takes second, with Munich and Paris stable at 3 and 4, then Istanbul and Luxembourg moving higher.
It was noted the planned expansion of Moscow had inspired investors across Europe.
The economic downturn and rising concerns about government debt in the EU also helped Moscow climb in the rankings.
Jones Lang LaSalle says investment into Russian real estate will reach a record high in 2011, already jumping 80% year on year in the first nine months to $5.25 billion.
The index noted foreign investors contributed 44% of all investment, up from a 14% share a year ago.
It notes the business environment in Moscow still leaves much to be desired.
Moscow made its debut on the LaSalle Investment Management’s European Regional Economic Growth Index in 2009.
After its spectacular entry into the top 10 in 2009, Moscow ranked second in 2010 notwithstanding its challenging business environment.
Claus Thomas, MD LaSalle Investment Management Germany, notes that the annual European Regional Economic Growth Index produced by LiM research, is 60% based on current growth and outlook, 20% on wealth in the local population and 20% on the business environment, including legal aspects, political security and tax considerations.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Moscow most attractive market in Europe for commercial property: Jones Lang LaSalle

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Interest rates have moved on the last five Melbourne Cup Days, mostly upwards, once downwards, and AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver expects the RBA to cut the official cash rate by 0.25%, taking it to 4.5%, when it meets on Tuesday.
“Of course, a cut is not assured as the RBA may take the view that the moves in Europe have reduced the risks to the global outlook, so as such we attach a 60% probability to a cut occurring,” Oliver notes.
“However, the case to cut is very strong.
“Despite the European debt rescue plan, the global growth outlook is still much weaker than when interest rates were raised a year ago to 4.75%.
“Likewise domestic demand has been weaker than expected, with unemployment now drifting higher.
“And the much-anticipated September quarter inflation figures have confirmed that the inflation outlook is far more benign than the RBA was assuming a few months ago,” Oliver says.
“Current settings for interest rates – which assumed much stronger global and Australian growth and a worsening profile for underlying inflation – are too high.
“So if it’s not on Tuesday we would anticipate a cut in December,” Oliver suggests.
 
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td width="154" valign="top">
Effective Date
</td>
<td width="154" valign="top">
Change in cash rate Percentage points
</td>
<td width="154" valign="top">
New cash rate target Per cent
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="154" valign="top">
Nov 3, 2010
</td>
<td width="154" valign="top">
+0.25
</td>
<td width="154" valign="top">
4.75
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="154" valign="top">
Nov 4, 2009
</td>
<td width="154" valign="top">
+0.25
</td>
<td width="154" valign="top">
3.50
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="154" valign="top">
Nov 5, 2008
</td>
<td width="154" valign="top">
-0.75
</td>
<td width="154" valign="top">
5.25
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="154" valign="top">
Nov 7, 2007
</td>
<td width="154" valign="top">
+0.25
</td>
<td width="154" valign="top">
6.75
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="154" valign="top">
Nov 8, 2006
</td>
<td width="154" valign="top">
+0.25
</td>
<td width="154" valign="top">
6.25
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
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Five in a row precedent for Cup Day interest rate movement: AMP's Shane Oliver 

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History tells us that the RBA tends to prefer to hold steady for long periods, rather than fine-tune, so at least one leading economist thinks that history will repeat and that RBA will choose to sit still next week.
It’s the rate prediction of former RBA insider and now HSBC Bank Australia economist Paul Bloxham.
“It’s a close call – a case could be made for either sitting still or cutting rates next week, depending on the RBA’s forecasts and how they view the balance of risks,” he says.
Suggesting fine-tuning is not RBA style, Bloxham says: “Up by the stairs, down by the elevator! That’s the way monetary policy is set in Australia.
“This asymmetric approach to setting rates partly reflects the way the economy evolves.
“In an upswing the RBA is seeking to gradually lean against rising demand to keep it growing in line with supply, thereby keeping inflation contained.
“A downturn tends to be a much more sudden event. A negative shock – often from abroad – convinces the RBA that its rate setting is too high and it cuts sharply to support the economy.
“A downward tweak to rates of 25bps next Tuesday – as markets are pricing and 12 of 20 economists are currently calling for – is somewhat anachronistic,” Bloxham says.
“In our view, past behaviour suggests they are more likely to sit still than cut.
“History would suggest that they would wait until they are certain that they need to cut and then go more aggressively than 25bps.
“As yet, we do not think the evidence stacks up for a downswing in the cycle,” he says.
“We think their forecasts will still show underlying inflation rising from here (albeit now within the target band) reflecting the massive mining boom and weak productivity growth.
“With policy likely to be set on this central forecast, we expect them to hold next week.
“But policy could be set on the balance of risks, as there are clear downside risks to the global outlook,” Bloxham says.
“As the deputy governor reminded us this week, the IMF has suggested the world economy has ‘entered a dangerous new phase’.
“But as he also pointed out: it may still be too early to tell what this means for Australia.
“We think so too,” he notes.
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History suggests RBA will sit still next week: HSBC's Paul Bloxham

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There are about 600 Sydney houses and apartments listed for auction this weekend. And the following weekend too.
But those volumes are down by about 8% on last year, according to Australian Property Monitors head of research Yvonne Chan.
There is one fewer auction than initially tallied however, as the Channel 7 Morning Show co-host Larry Emdur and his wife, Sylvie, have withdrawn their redundant Dover Heights residence from Saturday auction.
It remains listed for sale through private treaty negotiations.
Its listing followed their<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/larry-edmur-says-good-morning-to-breathtaking-cliff-top-property/2011090251402"> recent $6.8 million upgrading to a nearby mansion with dramatic oceanfront cliff-top views</a> over the Pacific Ocean. The Emdurs have owned at Dover Heights since 1994, when they spent $770,000.
They then rebuilt what its McGrath listing agent Bethwyn Richards describes as a contemporary house remaining true to its classic P and O-style heritage. It is set on 417 square metres, whereas the Emdurs’ new home is on 1,062 square metres of cliff-top land.
Based on their nearby purchase price, it had been estimated more than $5 million could be reasonably expected.
But the residence they've just bought was bought from the Moss family who had paid $7.1 million in February 2007, showing the market’s weakness.
Melbourne’s auction tally is lower than last weekend due to the distraction of the Melbourne Cup racing carnival.
This weekend the Real Estate Institute of Victoria has 445 auctions. The same weekend last year had 410 auctions and in 2009 there were 338 auctions.
The number of auctions will increase again with 600 expected next weekend and 850 the weekend after, according to Real Estate Institute of Victoria chief executive Enzo Raimondo.
Melbourne’s year to date clearance rate is now 57% from 22,940 auctions. At this stage last year the clearance rate was 74% from 25,380 auctions and in 2009 there has been 16,555 auctions with an 81% clearance rate.
Last weekend there were 823 auctions with a revised clearance rate of 53% in Melbourne.</body></html>

Larry Emdur withdraws redundant Dover Heights holding from weekend auction

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/september21lewis]}
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">The Sydney Harbour home (pictured above) of the late arts patron Ann Lewis was passed in at its much-anticipated auction, but sold soon after to a Hong Kong-based expat at about $15 million last night, which was the lowest selling point the family were prepared to sell.  The harbour reserve house had been passed in after just the one $10 million bid - at its invitation only auction - with suggestions some 10 contracts had been issued to local and offshore buyers during the pre-auction marketing.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/ann-lewis-sydney-harbour-home-ready-for-its-next-patron/2011092151632" target="_blank">The 1909 residence, Amaroo</a>, comes with direct access to a sandy beach and private deepwater jetty. It was her home for about 55 years, and was listed by her four children, Amanda Zsebik, Tony Lewis, Annalise Scanlan and Daniel Lewis, following her death in May. A Mungindi grazier's daughter, Ann Livingston met building construction magnate John Lewis on the dance floor at Prunier's in Woollahra.
The sale fell short of Rose Bay's $18.2 million top sale, which was a newly built contemporary house when sold in 2006.
Lewis' house was listed by Ken Jacobs at Christies International in conjunction with Andrew Livingston and Brett Talbot from McGrath Estate Agents. 
The late leisure entrepreneur<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/leisure-entrepreneur-bill-bursill-s-rose-bay-house-up-for-auction/2011091651576" target="_blank"> Bill Bursill's Rose Bay harbourfront house goes up for November 3 auction </a>through Laing &amp; Simmons Double Bay agent Wayne Yates. Its on a much bigger block with $14 million hopes. It has a $13 million unimproved capital land value compared with the $9.1 million of the Lewis land holding.
<img src="/images/stories/middlecrescent.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">There’s now a $4.75 million asking price on the historic Brighton residence Totnes (pictured above), which has been listed by departing Newcrest mining boss Ian Smith, who is set to become the chief executive of explosives and chemical company Orica. Smith was in London at the time of his 2006 purchase, where he had been a senior Rio Tinto executive. The 1892 mansion with 10 rooms sits on an 1,100-square-metre block. It’s was listed for auction through Barb Gregory and James Redfern at Marshall White Brighton. Gregory gave pre-auction indications the house would fetch $4.5 million plus.
Smith stepped down at the end of June this year from Newcrest after five years in which he turned around the nation's biggest gold miner and doubled its market value. Newcrest’s recent annual report revealed it’s still paying Smith until the end of the year along with a $2.25 million payment on December 31. Smith received $1 million bonus after sealing a $9.5 billion takeover by Lihir Gold last year.
<img src="/images/stories/coopersshoot2.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">Property developer Max Campbell and wife Cynthia have secured about $4.6 million for their Byron Bay hinterland residence (pictured above and below), not bad considering they were hoping for $5 million plus. Set on 5.5 hectares with rainforests, it has sold within 10 days of offers closing through Nick Dunn of Byron Bay First National in conjunction with Raine &amp; Horne agent Sophie Christou.
<img src="/images/stories/coopersshoot.jpg">
The spectacularly located property looks seaward with views that expand from Broken Head to Cape Byron lighthouse from its Coopers Shoot escarpment. Its 10 minutes to Bangalow, and five minutes to Byron Bay or Suffolk Park. The house consists of four bedrooms – two with ensuites. The living and dining area features a thatched Indonesian grassed roof ceiling. Its timbers included Kauri Pine in the kitchen, New Guinea Rosewood door and window frames, and Tasmanian blackwood in the bathrooms. There’s rosegum timber floors with jarrah and blackbutt features, coconut posts, columns and entry doors, and structural bamboo rafters.
<img src="/images/stories/theavenue.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">Deansholme (pictured above), the Surrey Hills, Melbourne home of the former Hawks player Trent Croad and his wife, Tanya Stewart, has been sold for $2 million ahead of his plans to break into the American National Football League.
The four-bedroom timber Edwardian house with wide return veranda sold through Marshall White agent Chris Barrett, who suggested second-storey additions would provide city views. The 1,235-square-metre property had been tipped to fetch more than $2 million. Croad retired last year following continuing problems from a foot injury. He recently returned from try-outs as a punter with the New York Jets.
{yoogallery src=[images/stories/october25moog]}
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">Moog (pictured above), the home, hotel, restaurant, bar and recording studio in one location in Surry Hills, didn’t attract any bids when it was offered under receivers' instructions mid-week through Colliers agent Paul Fernandes. In its heyday the place offered the $1,000-a-night Moog Hotel experience, which included designer pool with underwater speakers. It even laid claim to the most expensive cocktail in Sydney – the Amex Noir at $2,003. The property was initially listed with $8 million expectations by Simon and Susanah Page in 2005. Its mid-week auctioneer Damien Cooley suggested there were four or five interested bidding parties but passed in on a $3.8 million vendor bid.
<img src="/images/stories/wanganderry.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">Wanganderry (pictured above), the 898-hectare rural Southern Highlands estate, has been listed for the first time in close to 150 years. It’s been listed for November 10 auction through Matthew Anstee at Raine &amp; Horne Bowral. It’s being sold by the prominent pioneer Badgery family, who have owned the property since the 1860s. It’s the largest land offering on the market at the moment. It has capacity for up to 600 head of cattle.
Located on Wombeyan Caves Road in High Range, Wanganderry is 20 minutes from Bowral. Anstee says about $8.5 million is expected, representing around $3,900 per acre compared with the area's average $9,000. The estate is being offered for sale as whole, but was also available in two smaller parcels – the 550-hectare Wanganderry North subdivision, and the 347-hectare Wanganderry South subdivision. However, if a buyer cannot be found, Wanganderry will be divided and sold by Raine &amp; Horne Bowral as a series of 21 hundred-acre lots.
<img src="/images/stories/bowerst.jpg">
<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="/images/stories/flagtitletat.jpg">And don’t say that Title Tattle told you, but the recently departed chief executive at newly formed AFL franchise Greater Western Sydney Dale Holmes won’t miss the daily traffic grind. He and his wife, Claudia, sold their Manly residence (pictured above) for $3.83 million last October with unimplemented plans to buy closer to Dale's team headquarters at Blacktown. The Bower Street, Manly house, which sold through Steve Thomas at Belle Property Manly, had been transformed from its previous Californian bungalow-style appearance after the 720-square-metre leasehold property cost $2.3 million in 2007. Title Tattle understands the Holmes family have stayed in Manly – in part because of the family’s schooling requirements –but have been renting since the sale.
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Ann Lewis' romantic Rose Bay villa fetches about $15 million after auction: Title Tattle

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<img src="/images/stories/coastwoes.gif">
<div>- Stuart Gan from PRDnationwide on the NSW Central Coast.</div>
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This month he sold a <a href="https://www.prdettalong.com/index.cfm?pagecall=property&amp;propertyID=1362671&amp;propertyStatus=SoldRented" target="_blank">four-bedroom house for $3.3 million at Daleys Point</a>, which he suggests would have sold for $4 million in a good market. Gan told the AFR the lack of overseas money was keeping things flat.
“It’s the high Australian dollar and the absence of the expat dollars. Most of the big deals I do in Pearl Beach are related to expat Australians working in foreign postings,” he says.
Syd Triggs at Herron Todd White valuers Gosford says $3 million-plus Central Coast sales have been few and far between. There have been five this year, which was more than 50% down on the past three years.
</div>
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Quote of the week: Central Coast NSW prestige woes

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Lachlan Murdoch, the Channel Ten boss, has not yet confirmed the 2012 return of The Renovators series after its ratings failure. 
He has noted some of the sponsors of the $25 million series were keen for its return, “with reset expectations”.
“If we bring it back it will be in a different format and with different expectations,” Murdoch says.
Ratings for Channel Ten's The Renovators did not come close to the similar Channel 9 show The Block.
The ratings of The Renovators finale topped 1.26 million across the five cities, its best result since its 1.25 million August debut.
Some 56% of the $725,000 average nightly audience over the past three months were women.
The series was created by the television production house Shine Australia. The Renovators finale was October 12.
For expert commentary and analysis on lessons to be learnt from property reality TV, <a target="_blank" href="https://register.propertyobserver.com.au/lights-camera-auction/">download our e-book Lights, Camera, Auction!</a>
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The Renovators will not return in same format, and possibly not at all: Lachlan Murdoch

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Potential first-time buyers – some as investors while they rent – continue to seek 100% no-deposit home loans even though banks no longer offer them.
Dean Rushton, chief operating officer of mortgage broker Loan Market says 7% of the brokerage's total enquiries during October 2011 had come from people wanting no-deposit home loans.
"There remains strong interest from people who want to enter the real estate market and borrow the entire cost of the property," Rushton notes.
"But the modern-day lending reality is that if you want to obtain housing finance you have to save for a deposit.”
In late 2008 at the onset of the global financial crisis homebuyers began to find it hard to get no-deposit loans from banks such as the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
At the time the JP Morgan banking analyst Brian Johnson suggested stricter lending standards were here to stay.
"The era of getting very easy credit to buy a house is over," he suggested.
Aussie Home Loans boss John Symond was prompted to suggest the tightening signalled a return to sensible lending practices.
"Banks have got to have prudent lending," he suggested in 2008.
"People buying home in Australia with little or no deposit is a flawed process.”
Rushton suggests lending restrictions requiring genuine savings contributions of around 5% towards the property purchase demonstrates to the lender that you have the capacity to save money and budget.
He suggests would-be buyers are best off to develop a savings plan early to build a home deposit.
"Borrowers should consider saving for as large a deposit as possible as both interest and lenders mortgage insurance costs increase substantially the more you borrow," he says.
For more about buying your first investment property, download our free e-book.
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First-home borrowers still looking for no-deposit home loans

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Ireland’s National Asset Management Agency is offering up to 70% vendor financing to investors willing to buy commercial property in an effort to revitalise the ailing Irish property market.
The state agency has criticised UK banks for selling Irish property cheaply at below rebuilding costs.
NAMA was set up in 2009 to purge Irish banks of about €75 billion in impaired loans after the country’s property crash and international banking crisis.
“With a view to generating sales transactions which would not otherwise take place and to attracting new equity into the Irish market, NAMA is willing to provide up to 70% vendor debt financing to purchasers of commercial property,” Brendan McDonagh, chief executive of NAMA, told an Irish parliamentary committee.
The product would target pension funds, insurance companies, private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds, McDonagh says.
It is hoped the vendor financing will attract foreign investors to Ireland where falls of more than 40% have occurred since the 2007 peak.
The committee members were keen for assurances that the NAMA business model was working and that there was no danger that the state would have to step in to help NAMA meet its repayments.
NAMA says it had completed its purchase of badly impaired loans from the five covered Irish banks and building societies – Bank of Ireland, AIB, Anglo Irish Bank, Irish Nationwide and EBS.
It has paid €31.7 billion to acquire loans worth €74.2 billion.
The agency hopes to turn a profit by selling the loans or properties linked to the loans between now and 2019.
Reuters has reported with a portfolio that ranges from London skyscrapers to farmland in the Irish midlands, NAMA has around 200 developers drawing a salary to manage their assets.
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Ireland's National Asset Management Agency offering 70% vendor finance to lure investors

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{yoogallery src=[images/stories/october28brisbane]}
Brisbane’s 1938 landmark nautical Moderne-style residence – designed by the architect Mervyn Rylance – is on the market for only the second time.
Inspired by the Art Deco style of Miami Beach, Florida, the house sits on a 736-square-metre block in Hamilton Hill with views from Moreton Island to the city skyline.
Level one offers living areas, kitchen, media room and a utility room.
The second level has the master bedroom with a dressing room and ensuite, plus two other bedrooms each with ensuites. A study is also located on this level.
“It’s a rare opportunity to secure this much-admired Brisbane landmark,” says listing agent Alma Clark of Alma Clark Real Estate Ascot.
She says dedicated attention to detail has been employed to bring this home into the modern era.
It was briefly listed last spring but didn’t sell.
Hamilton prices have ranged between $700,000 and $3.2 million this year.
The property last traded in 1993 at $490,000.
It has an official unimproved $2.4 million land value.
The last known sale of a house designed by Mervyn Rylance was the heritage-listed Oogarding, the Bardon house, which is considered among the best examples of his work in the Mediterranean style of architecture. It sold for $1.86 million in 2006.
Very few pure Mediterranean-style houses were built in Brisbane, and Rylance was also responsible for the design of Blanchard House at New Farm, which was demolished amid controversy in 2009.
The bulldozers – accompanied by three police officers – moved in at 6.30am to demolish the unlisted 1934 Spanish Mission home on Maxwell Street.
Developer John Lynch and wife Monica Blinco, an interior designer, bought it in 2004 for $3.75 million and the adjoining block in July 2007 for $5.9 million with plans for a seven-storey apartment block.
There’s debate on Maxwell Street at the moment over the proposed demolition of a heritage- listed Mock-Tudor apartment block at 42 Maxwell Street.
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Nautical Brisbane Moderne-style house on the market for only second time

ASX-listed developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/stockland">Stockland</a>&nbsp;is continuing its push back into the new apartment market, filing plans for a prominent gateway site between Collingwood and East Melbourne.

The development giant, which moved back into the new apartment space when it announced Stanton Place in Sydney's Rosebery and have since filed plans for a 50-storey tower, are jumping into the off the plan Melbourne market.

They are hoping to create a mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/79-81-victoria-parade-collingwood-vic-3066">79-81 Victoria Parade</a>, replacing an existing commercial building with a scheme by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/john-wardle-architects">Wardle</a>&nbsp;for 478 apartments,&nbsp;ground-floor retail, new public open spaces and a publicly accessible pedestrian laneway.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="72dbbca9-3918-4073-afad-a0c0c35be8e7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%20pers.png?VersionId=bzMVUKKxvwuNK1m0v_td126Rgct32uk_" />

The design report identifies the public realm as a central driver of the proposal.

"Collingwood has limited access to high-quality parks and public open space, and the proposal delivers valuable new areas for respite, social interaction and fine-grain retail activity."

The development would deliver a diverse mix of housing, including studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments alongside townhouse-style residences. Two basement levels are proposed beneath the development, providing resident and retail parking as well as extensive bicycle facilities.

Wardle's design draws heavily on Collingwood's industrial character, using articulated building forms, brickwork and robust materials inspired by the suburb's warehouse and manufacturing heritage. The built form has been broken into a series of smaller volumes to better respond to the surrounding streetscape while extensive communal gardens, rooftop amenities and shared resident spaces are integrated throughout the project.

<img alt="First look: Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7b2135ed-65df-4253-ad53-f216f06bd467" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/stockland%20podium.png?VersionId=l1B6Hqn8zs772VxH6L1fDPg0KHshan9v" />

The planning documents describe the existing office building as offering little engagement with the public realm, with the redevelopment intended to create a more permeable and active neighbourhood destination.

"The proposed scheme presents a significant opportunity to deliver a vibrant retail plaza and a local neighbourhood hub serving both existing and future Collingwood residents."

The 79–81 Victoria Parade site occupies a strategic location about 1.5 kilometres east of Melbourne's CBD, at the threshold between Collingwood and East Melbourne. It is well served by tram services along Victoria Parade and sits within walking distance of St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy Gardens, the Fitzroy activity centre and a broad range of employment, retail and hospitality destinations.

Joel Robinson

Stockland plans new mixed-use neighbourhood precinct for Collingwood gateway site

An 1880s timber cottage that has survived Kangaroo Point's transformation from riverside suburb to high-density apartment precinct is set to become the centrepiece of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/zephyr">Zephyr Group</a>'s proposed Banksia development.

Rather than see the locally heritage-listed Alpha Cottage as an obstacle to navigate, plans integrate the landmark home into a new 18-storey residential tower, giving one of the suburb's oldest surviving residences a new role as the project's communal hub.

The development application covers a 1,177 sqm amalgamated site at 127-133 Lambert Street and 30 Shafston Avenue, where Zephyr Group plans to deliver 64 apartments above three basement levels. Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/joe-adsett-architects">Joe Adsett Architects</a>, the proposal carefully weaves the retained heritage cottage into a contemporary residential scheme, with the tower elevated above the historic building to preserve its presence within the Lambert Street streetscape.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f9dc5bdb-d691-4c60-bf2b-c3ed405a3e75" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Banksia.png?VersionId=Jh4bjlewU.o8HXWt0V4KaFA_lPcF7KWM" />

Named after the native Australian Banksia flower, the project draws inspiration from its distinctive form through curved balconies, sculpted planter boxes and cascading subtropical landscaping that soften the building's profile.

As the design report explains: "The tower's identity is defined by its feature facade, drawing direct inspiration from the Banksia wildflower. The building departs from traditional rigidity through the use of elegant, GRC-moulded planter boxes that appear as if shaped by the breeze."

Plans propose 64 apartments, comprising 32 two-bedroom and 32 three-bedroom residences, across an 18-storey tower. Residents would have access to rooftop amenities including a swimming pool, spa, gym, sauna, private cinema, dining spaces and landscaped recreation areas, while more than half the site is dedicated to planting and open space.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="16041b5f-033e-47fa-8fbe-9886e072c1f2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pool.png?VersionId=kpx5w4EbLx0_TdWfDoD1vrSs0_cZ5Ao1" />

The heritage component is the defining feature of the proposal. Constructed in the early 1880s and occupied from at least 1883, Alpha Cottage is recognised by Brisbane City Council as an important surviving example of Kangaroo Point's nineteenth-century residential development and as a representative transverse-gable timber cottage. Despite extensive redevelopment across the peninsula, the building has retained a high degree of its original form and internal fabric.

As part of the redevelopment, the cottage will be carefully relocated a short distance within its original allotment to facilitate construction before being returned to a prominent position along Lambert Street. Original verandah elements will be dismantled, catalogued and reinstated, while significant internal features, including timber flooring, wall linings, joinery, doors, windows and hardware, will be retained. Later additions, including the enclosed rear verandah, will be removed to better reveal the building's original form.

Once restored, Alpha Cottage will accommodate the building manager's office, mail room and parcel facilities, providing an active everyday use that supports its long-term conservation rather than preserving it as a static display. The heritage strategy also maintains landscaped space around the building, allowing it to remain visually distinct beneath the new tower.

<img alt="First look: Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="43b027e1-576e-4624-a66c-7cc54ea8b7be" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/banksia%20tower.png?VersionId=2W6E2yfkj2AQlWlLeV986grA5zB9f817" />

The Heritage Impact Assessment concludes that "the proposal secures the ongoing occupation, maintenance and conservation of Alpha Cottage," finding the development would result in "no more than a minor impact on the cultural heritage significance" of the building while ensuring its long-term future.

Joe Adsett Architects have designed the tower to sit above the heritage building rather than overwhelm it, creating a clear visual separation between old and new. The development's flowing balconies, integrated planting and organic façade respond to Brisbane's subtropical climate while complementing the restored cottage below.

Banksia occupies a prominent corner in Kangaroo Point within walking distance of the Kangaroo Point Bridge, Brisbane River, ferry services, QUT, the CBD and the Woolloongabba precinct. The site also benefits from direct access to active transport infrastructure and sits within an area earmarked for continued higher-density residential growth.

Zephyr Group's Banksia to wrap new Kangaroo Point tower around 1880s Alpha Cottage

Buying into a masterplanned community often means committing to a vision still years from taking shape. At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a>, that vision is already visible.

Residents have moved into the completed first stage, landscaped spaces are established, and the next chapter is now underway. Stage 1 has been completed and settled, with Stage 2 now selling off-the-plan.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/pbd-architects">PBD Architects</a>, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> combines attainable apartment living with sustainability initiatives rarely seen at this price point, including rooftop solar, battery storage and a resident EV-sharing program.

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Located on Schofi​elds Road, just moments from Tal​lawong Metro Station and Schof​ields Train Station, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> has been designed to appeal to a broad mix of buyers, from first-home purchasers looking for a foothold in Sy​dney's property market to downsizers seeking a connected, low-maintenance lifestyle.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> has been conceived as a thoughtfully planned masterplanned community that will evolve over multiple stages, with buyers now able to secure one, two and three-bedroom apartments within a neighbourhood that is already beginning to establish its identity.

One of the project's defining features is its focus on sustainability. Solar energy systems, battery storage and future EV charging infrastructure have been incorporated throughout the development, reflecting a long-term approach to both environmental performance and everyday convenience.

Sustainability sits at the centre of the development's vision, with solar energy systems, battery storage and future EV charging infrastructure integrated throughout the community.

That emphasis on future-ready living extends beyond the technology. Landscaped communal gardens, outdoor gathering spaces and plans for a future retail precinct aim to create a neighbourhood where residents can access daily conveniences without travelling far from home.

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The apartments themselves have been designed with liveability front of mind. Rather than chasing maximum density, the focus has been placed on creating practical homes with generous natural light, usable layouts and strong connections to outdoor space.

Importantly, these design principles have been applied consistently across the one, two and three-bedroom apartment offerings.

The appeal of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> is also closely linked to its location within Syd​ney's rapidly evolving north-west growth corridor. Over the past decade, major infrastructure investment has transformed the area, with new transport links, business precincts and community facilities reshaping suburbs like Talla​wong and Schofiel​ds.

The agent says buyers are increasingly recognising the area's long-term potential.

"Typical buyers that we're finding across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> especially are your first-home buyers, your investors, your upsizers as well as your downsizers," Hawes says.

Connectivity remains one of the project's strongest drawcards. Residents have access to both Tallaw​ong Metro Station and Schofi​elds Train Station, providing links to the Sydn​ey CBD, Norw​est Business Park, Macquari​e Park and other major employment hubs. Retail centres including Rous​e Hill Town Centre and Sch​ofields Village are also nearby, alongside schools, parks and future healthcare infrastructure.

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For Stage 1 resident Roji, it is the balance between convenience and comfort that has defined the experience of living at Kew.

"For me, it's a balance of quality and convenience," she says. "Everything I need is right here."

"If I wanted to catch the train, Scho​fields Station is just around the corner. Tallaw​ong Metro connects me to the city."

More importantly, she says, the development has delivered something that cannot be measured in floorplans or specifications.

"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> feels like home."

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As Stage 2 enters the market, that lived experience may be one of the project's strongest selling points. Buyers are not purchasing into an untested concept or a future promise. They are joining a community that is already taking shape.

Ongoing investment in transport, retail, healthcare and public open space continues to strengthen the appeal of Syd​ney's north-west growth corridor, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a>'s established first stage provides buyers with a tangible sense of the community's future direction.

For a limited time, buyer can secure a new home at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kew-tallawong-23-27-schofields-road-tallawong-nsw-2762">Kew Tallawong</a> with just a $10,000.

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Kew Tallawong: A growing community taking shape in Sydney's north-west

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/freecity">Freecity</a> has received development approval for its 51-storey mixed-use tower at 153-157 Walker Street, North Sydney, set to be one of the tallest mixed-use residential-led buildings in one of Sydney’s most sought-after commercial and residential addresses.

Lodged as a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) through the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) pathway and approved by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure following a comprehensive public exhibition and submissions process, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/153-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">the project</a> will deliver 296 apartments, alongside a 170-room, luxury hotel, activated retail and significant public domain improvements.

Situated just 200 metres from Victoria Cross Metro Station, on one of the largest developable sites in North Sydney, the development will rise to 234 metres, making it one of the tallest buildings in the suburb. With an end value of approximately $1.5 billion, the project responds directly to the NSW Government’s mandate to accelerate housing delivery in well-located, transit-connected areas.

<img alt="Freecity gets green light for mixed-use residential and hotel tower in North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="192ec455-94bf-4e01-83ef-922b1b269d67" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Freecity%20-%20Walker%20Street%20North%20Sydney%201%20RESIZED%20.jpg?VersionId=Bzqp0SBHCDvLAHjA4QXkjuGoOEIh73Jl" />

The apartment mix will cater to a broad range of buyers, with 65 studio and one-bedroom apartments, 139 two-bedroom residences, 35 three-bedroom apartments, 48 four-bedroom homes, and nine penthouses. Residents will have access to a dedicated amenity level on Level 33, featuring a swimming pool with views towards the Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and North Sydney CBD, as well as a gym, library, shared kitchen, lounge and outdoor entertaining areas.

The hotel will occupy the lower six levels of the building and include meeting and function spaces, a wellness centre with gym, yoga studio, swimming pool and sauna, further strengthening North Sydney's growing hospitality offering.

At ground level, the development has been designed to improve pedestrian connections through the precinct. More than 700 sqm of retail space will activate the street frontage, while a landscaped through-site link connecting Walker Street, Little Walker Street and Doris Fitton Park will provide new public open space with seating, paving and extensive native landscaping.

Freecity Group Co-Founder and Joint CEO Tony Sun said the project represents one of the most significant development opportunities currently available in North Sydney.

"This is one of the most significant development sites in North Sydney and it comes at a pivotal moment for the precinct," Sun said.

"North Sydney is undergoing a genuine transformation, and this project will contribute housing the city urgently needs while creating a landmark destination."

Executive Director of Development Michael Romano said demand for both residential and hotel accommodation would continue to strengthen as the Metro precinct matures.

"The structural demand for high-quality housing and hotel accommodation in North Sydney is compelling, and will only grow as the precinct continues to evolve around the new Metro station," Romano said.

Architectus has designed the tower, orientating the apartments to maximise views towards Sydney Harbour while introducing a sculpted façade intended to respond to light, wind and the surrounding skyline.

Architectus Principal Marko Damic said the design sought to create a tower that contributes to the public realm as much as the skyline.

"We wanted to design a tower that doesn't just sit in the skyline but actively participates and contributes to city life," Damic said.

First look: Freecity gets green light for mixed-use apartment and hotel tower in North Sydney

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/abadeen">Abadeen</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/perifa">PERIFA</a> have celebrated the topping out of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf,</a> marking a significant milestone in the delivery of one of Syd​ney's most anticipated waterfront communities.

Located on Sydney's harbourfront at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/putney-nsw-2112">Putney</a>, the project has now reached its highest structural point, with construction progressing strongly towards completion in 2027. 
&nbsp; 
The milestone was celebrated on-site with project partners Phoenix Property Investors, Mitsubishi Estate Asia, Versatile Construction, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, consultants and stakeholders, to recognise the collective effort behind the transformation of the historic waterfront site into a vibrant new residential, marina and lifestyle destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=362240] 
&nbsp; 
<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> will deliver a mix of waterfront residences and terraces, complemented by a private 36-berth marina, waterfront dining opportunities and a revitalised foreshore designed to reconnect the community with the river's edge. 
&nbsp; 
Abadeen Executive Chairman and Founder Justin Brown said the project represented a rare opportunity to create the next chapter in Sydn​ey's long history of successful waterfront precincts. 
&nbsp; 
"Throughout Sydney, some of the city's most sought-after addresses have emerged from carefully considered waterfront precincts such as Woolloom​ooloo Wharf, Walsh Bay and Breakfast Point," Brown said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=362566] 
&nbsp; 
"What makes these places so successful is that they become much more than residential developments," Brown said.

"They bring together homes, hospitality, marina facilities, public spaces and a strong sense of community in locations where future supply is incredibly limited."

Brown has long described absolute waterfront land in Sy​dney as "finite."

"Once these opportunities are developed, they are rarely replicated. That's why Syd​ney's waterfront precincts have consistently demonstrated strong demand and long-term value growth over many decades. 
&nbsp; 
"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> is one of the few remaining opportunities to secure a residence within a masterplanned waterfront community that combines direct water access, marina ownership opportunities and a genuine village lifestyle just moments from the Sy​dney CBD."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=362564] 
&nbsp; 
PERIFA Founder and Managing Director Fabrizio Perilli said the project reflected a shared commitment to delivering exceptional places that create long-term value for residents and the broader community. 
&nbsp; 
"The topping out milestone is a significant achievement for the Versatile Group and a testament to the collaboration between all project partners, consultants and contractors involved," Perilli said. 
&nbsp; 
"Beyond the residences themselves, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> will establish a new waterfront destination that celebrates the history, character and lifestyle of this unique location while creating a lasting legacy for future generations."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13962 project_image_fid=291195] 
&nbsp; 
Construction is being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/versatile">Versatile Construction</a>, with structural works now substantially complete across the precinct. Attention will progressively shift to the construction of the waterview terraces, apartment façades, services and interior fit-out works over the coming months. 
&nbsp; 
With limited residences and marina berths remaining, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> continues to attract strong interest from owner occupiers and downsizers seeking a premium waterfront lifestyle within close proximity to Putne​y Village, Rh​odes, Top Ry​de and the Syd​ney CBD. 
&nbsp; 
As one of the last opportunities to secure a residence within a new masterplanned waterfront community on Sy​dney Harbour, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/putney-wharf-harbourfront-precinct-20-waterview-street-putney-nsw-2112">Putney Wharf</a> is expected to remain a highly sought-after address for years to come.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=13962]

Jonathan Chancellor

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